Benzyl-[N-(lower alkyl)]-.gamma.-aminobutyrates or (lower alkyl)-N-phenyl-.gamma.-aminobutyrates are used for the treatment of gastric ulcers [JA-PS 38(63)-15368 or JA-PS 38(63)-7324]. N-(benzoyl or alkanoyl)-N-alkyl-.gamma.-aminobutyric acid is claimed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,287) to be useful for inhibiting sebaceous gland excretion and combatting skin inflammation. N-(2-alkoxybenzoyl)aminoacids are said to possess an antipyretic and analgesic action (DT-OS No. 24 07 016). Trialkoxybenzoyl-aminoalkanoic acids possess great importance in the treatment of cardiopathies, for example cardiac infarct, cardiac ischaemia or cardiac arrhythmia (U.K. Pat. No. 1,275,189, U.K. Pat. No. 1,331,607, U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,550, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,827, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,913, U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,563 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,334). N-propionyl-.epsilon.-aminocaproic acid is used as an active principle for cosmetic preparations for the treatment of anomalies in the grain of the skin which are related to disorders in the formation of connective or fibrous tissue (U.K. Pat. No. 1,206,386). 4-[methylbenzoylamino]butyric acid and 6-[methylbenzoylamino]-hexanoic acid-(1) are described in Beilstein's "Handbuch der organischen Chemie", (EIII9, 1150 and 1158). A description of the production of 5-(N-methylacetamido)valeric acid is found in J. Chem. Soc. (London), C 1969, 1863. N-benzoyl-N-phenyl-.alpha.-amino acids are said to inhibit inflammation and to possess analgesic effects (DT-OS No. 17 68 173), whereas, during the investigation of N-benzoylanilinoalkanecarboxylic acids [D. Evans et al, J. Med. Chem., 12 (1969) 1006-10], the corresponding butyric acids showed no inflammation inhibiting activity. U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,095 claims N-acyl-anilinoalkanoic acids with a choleretic effect and to which further activities are also attributed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,111). .alpha.-phenylbenzylidene-.omega.-aminoalkanoic acids and their derivatives are said to be used in agents which have an anti-epileptic effect (DT-OS No. 2 634 288). Naphthylaminoalkanoic acids and their esters are said to have a central-depressive and strongly-sedative action (DT-OS No. 1 543 802).
A new class of acylhydrocarbylaminoalkanoic acids, which is neither mentioned in nor rendered obvious by the aforesaid publications, has now been synthesized. It has also been found that these acylhydrocarbylaminoalkanoic acids possess interesting and particularly advantageous pharmacological properties.